Boy Wonder
by nightliferogue
Summary: TerryBruce SLASH SEQUEL TO THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN AND ROBIN: Terry McGinnis has his hands full with the reapperance of Dick Grayson and the appearance of Robin in Gotham City. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Inspired by a search for Batman Beyond figures on eBay that resulted in seeing "Firewall Robin." It just escalated from there.

The news reports started off vague, barely mentioning a man in a mask protecting a woman from a purse-snatcher.

Then there were more:

Jokers arrested, thanks to masked vigilante

Drug deal thwarted by masked man

'Robin' saves little girl from high-rise

Robin.

Terry McGinnis stared down at the newest article to grace the front page of the Gotham Gazette: _Robin helps police arrest crime boss Vic Lee and shuts down gang_

Vic Lee, reputed crime boss for the last year in Gotham had been on Terry's hit list for almost two years now and here this kid gets him in less than two months on the job?

Chewing on his cereal, he mumbles to himself and ignores Matt when he asks, "What got up your butt today, Terry? Dana still dating that guy Charlie?"

Terry looked at the article again, then down at his cereal.

He wished he could just live with Bruce.

It had been nearly a year now since they'd decided to give in and be together, thanks in part to Dick Grayson (but not really because he couldn't stand the idea of being in debt to Dick for anything) and mostly in part to Terry getting hurt and Bruce getting very jealous.

You'd think an eighteen year old wouldn't want two men over sixty fighting over him but you'd be wrong.

Smiling to himself Terry narrowly missed his mother's comment, "Aren't you going to be late for work?" that had him up and running out the door.

Bruce was gonna kill him.

He was going to kill him.

Bruce Wayne sat in the lobby of Wayne Powers, tapping his cane on the floor and grinding his teeth. Ever since Terry graduated he'd become Bruce's full time chauffer and assistant, and he was a lousy one. But Bruce didn't trust anyone else, and in reality was so hopelessly infatuated with the boy he'd pay him to breathe if Terry asked.

Thankfully, Terry hadn't yet realized that yet. _Give him time_, Bruce thought.

Bruce sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"You look tired, old man."

He looked up slowly into the smiling face of Richard "Dick" Grayson, president of Knight, Inc, and his former protégé and partner. He hadn't seen Dick in nearly a year and they hadn't parted on completely friendly terms.

"Dick."

Dick sat down beside him, still smiling. "Miss me? I've been very busy the last few months but since I've finished I thought it would be nice to come visit Babs and check up on you and Terry. He move in yet?"

As if on cue, the car pulled up outside and Bruce stood up slowly to be sure not to wobble in the face of an opponent. "No, he hasn't. If you'll excuse me."

Dick still hadn't stopped his damned grinning and he called at Bruce's back, "Of course, Bruce. Tell Terry I hope no one has been 'robbin' him of the spotlight lately. Can't have that."

Bruce stopped short and turned around, only to find himself alone.

Of course.

He quickened his pace to the car, opening the door and sliding inside. Closing it softly he turned to Terry who had a guilty look on his face. "Sorry. I got up late and I was eating breakfast and I..."

Bruce sighed and fastened his seat belt. "Just drive. I have some news."

Terry raised an eyebrow and moved the car out of park, gliding along the ground. After about a minute he asked, "What news?"

Bruce sighed, closing his eyes. "I just saw Dick."

Terry's eyes widened. "Dick Grayson?"

"Do we know anyone else with that name?"

Terry grinned. "No, guess not."

Bruce opened one eye and looked at him. "He all but told me outright that Robin is his."

The smile disappeared from Terry's lips. "His?"

"He's bankrolling him. I should have guessed."

Terry put his turn signal on and moved the car to the left. "Why?"

"Because he looks so much like you."

He looked at Bruce. "He does _not_ look like me."

Bruce smiled. "You can't tell me you don't see the similarities?"

Terry's face turned sour and he mumbled, "There are _no _similarities between me and that, that amateur."

Bruce's smile widened. "We're talking about looks here McGinnis, and yes, there are. He has the same black hair, same face structure, and his style is awfully similar to Batman's. I'd say Dick has been getting some footage of your work or just copying the similar teaching method I used on him."

Terry said nothing and drove, thinking. This "Robin" was nothing like him, no matter what Bruce said, but he should've realized that Dick was behind this.

But Bruce hadn't let him become Batman because of his detective skills.

He sighed and realized that Bruce was quiet again beside him.

Now might be a good time to bring up the same discussion they'd been avoiding for the last year. "So," he started, eyes on the road before him, "I was talking to my mom last night about moving out…"

"You're starting school in the fall and living in the dormitories."

"Bruce, c'mon!" he whined, turning to look at Bruce with puppy eyes.

Bruce glared back and grabbed onto the wheel of the car, "Eyes on the road, McGinnis."


	2. Chapter 2

Richard Grayson, CEO and founder of Knight, Inc, sat across the table from his newest acquisition, frowning.

"You're not doing it right."

The young man frowned. "Doing what right?"

"The scowl. Give me a good…"

The young man stood up, throwing a glass across the room and yelling, "Screw you! I'm not this stupid Terry McGinnis guy and I never will be! I…godamnitt…"

He ran his hand threw his hair and sighed, "Dick, I'm gonna go. I'd rather be living on the street than be caught up in your stupid game."

The young man pushed his chair back and walked towards the stairwell to his bedroom.

Dick stared at him. "You can't leave, Jason."

Jason stopped and glared over his shoulder at him. "Who says?"

Dick closed the gap between them, putting his hand on Jason's face.

"I do. You signed yourself away when I met you. You'd still be turning tricks in Crime Alley if I hadn't found you. Do you want to go back to that?"

Dick ran his hand across the young man's cheek, causing Jason to close his eyes. He looked so much like Terry if he kept his eyes closed; Dick could almost pretend he was. Which was sick, stupid, and horrible, but that was life wasn't it? Jason opened his eyes halfway, the brilliant green striking Dick as ironic.

Babs had green eyes. Bruce and Terry had blue. She still loved him, and he was damn sure this kid was just starting to fall.

Jason sighed. "Fine. Just…no more McGinnis shit, okay?"

Dick smiled and kissed him soundly; pulling him close and making them both catch their breath at their parting. "Okay. Go to bed."

Jason smiled. "Goodnight."

Kids were so easy to please. He hoped Bruce learned that sooner rather than later. A kiss here and there, a smile and a tease, a little afternoon play every few days and he could get away with no actual sex so far.

Which Jason preferred, given his past. He enjoyed being loved and pampered, which Dick enjoyed doing so it was a good situation.

Since moving into his new home not too far from Bruce Wayne's, once belonging to, ironically, Lex Luthor; he'd set about making his own protégé. It wasn't hard.

He deliberately skipped the whole adopting situation and moved right into runways.

For two weeks he roamed the streets, looking at unwanted teenagers and found no one to his liking or age range.

Then Jason picked his pocket and the rest was history.

Smiling, Dick was about to ring for the maid when his cell phone rang.

WAYNE, BRUCE 219-455-3432-5533 ACCEPT?

He hit accept and smiled at Bruce Wayne's image. "Bruce, nice to see you again. It was nice running into…"

"Enough, Dick. You know why I'm calling."

"Yes?"

Dick sat at the dining room table, leaning back and waiting.

"Robin is yours."

He paused.

"And?"

Bruce pursed his lips and said, "What are you trying to do?"

Dick smiled. "Afraid of some help for your boy out there, Bruce? He can always use it."

"Whoever you have is skilled, but not enough to truly understand what goes on out there. You could get him killed, Dick. Think about this."

Dick glared at him. "He's brought down those drug dealers, sent five Jokers to jail and saved three kids this week, Bruce. He seems to be doing fine, I think. And what did Batman do? Bring down one crime boss who no one even knew was a crime boss? Did he get his sugar daddy to help him or did he do that all on his own?"

"DON'T YOU DARE…"

"CUT THE SHIT, BRUCE! YOU'RE AFRAID MY BOY IS BETTER THAN YOURS AND YOU'RE SCARED THAT GOTHAM IS GOING TO HAVE A NEW CRUSADER SOON AND FORGET ABOUT BATMAN! I HOPE THE DAY COMES SOON, OLD MAN! I _REALLY _DO!"

He hung up the video phone and threw it across the room, enjoying watching it smash against the wall.

"Dick?"

Jason stood on the stairs, shirtless and wearing black pajama pants and no socks. He looked worried.

"It's fine."

He walked across the dining room and stood in front of Dick, reaching out to touch his face. Dick grabbed his hand and held on, hard. "Don't."

Jason smiled. "My hero."

Dick laughed, leaning into him. "I wish."

Jason moved the hair from his face and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "So do I."


	3. Chapter 3

Bruce was upset about something and it was bugging the hell out of Terry McGinnis.

They were sitting together at the end of the giant dining room table, eating pizza that Terry had snagged from Romi's Pizzeria on his way back from patrol. Bruce was absently chewing on the same piece he'd had in his hand for the last half hour while Terry was busy nursing his fourth piece.

Terry sighed and took a large bite of his pepperoni half; Bruce hated pepperoni and preferred sausage and Terry hated sausage so it all worked out.

"Terry."

He swallowed and licked his lips. "Yeah? You gonna get around to telling me what's wrong with you? You've been quiet all night about something and it's slagging me out just watching you try not to tell me."

Bruce laughed and smiled at him. "I'm that obvious?"

Terry grinned. "I'm around you a lot, so yeah."

Bruce put his hand on his face and said quietly, "I spoke to Dick last night."

Terry dropped his pizza, not at all noticing it slide down his leg and onto the floor.

Bruce looked at him. "He admitted Robin is his and we got into an argument. He's not backing down."

Terry banged his hand on the table hard and growled out, "God, I hate that guy! What the heck does he want?!?"

"He wants to help you, or so he says. I for one, think he wants the glory again. Being around you, it…brings things back for me, so I understand him."

Terry grabbed his shoulder and made Bruce look at him. "You're not like that, okay? You…it might be about experiencing Batman through me at some level but it's not…I love you, Bruce. More than you think, I know. I…I understand you. On _every _level."

Bruce reached up and grabbed his cheek, pulling him down into a kiss. Terry let himself be pulled, landing in the older man's lap and biting on Bruce's bottom lip, the kiss not breaking. He let a breath out of his nose and Bruce pulled back, attacking his neck and making him groan.

Terry reached out to touch him and Bruce held his arms down with one hand, then stood and pushed him down onto the table.

Terry laughed nervously. "Good thing the pizza box is on the other side of the table."

Bruce was silent as he pulled back and stared at Terry.

"Tell me."

"I love you, Bruce."

Bruce unbuttoned Terry's jeans and took him in hand, making the younger man moan and whisper, "Please, Bruce, I want _you._"

Bruce ignored him and continued his movements, bringing Terry close to the brink and then let go, running his hand up Terry's shirt and making him shiver.

"I know you do, McGinnis. Bear with me here."

Terry was shaking, badly and Bruce pulled his shirt up to expose his belly and licked a line to his chest and then smiled up at him.

Terry laughed. "I….you're such a…._jerk!"_

Bruce bit on his nipple and Terry gasped, cursing. He laughed. "I know."

He reached across the table and pulled on Terry's collar, lifting him so he was sitting straight up on the table, breath coming in gasps and face flush with lust.

"Asshole," Terry gasped, catching his breath, "All that build up and I'm still not satisfied."

Bruce kissed him softly and Terry closed his eyes.

"I'm going to deal with Dick my own way, but I need you to help me."

Terry opened one eye and eyed him warily. "Does this need to be finished right now?"

"No."

"Can we go have sex? Please?"

Bruce laughed. "Eager, are we?"

Terry smiled and kissed him quick, then jumped off the table before sprinting into the hall and calling out, "Meet you upstairs, old man!"

Bruce laughed and grabbed his cane, smiling and forgetting everything else.


	4. Chapter 4

They'd both thought long and hard about the moment that they finally met face to face, and when it actually happened neither of them was prepared.

It was late, later than Terry was usually out and earlier than Jason usually started to head back to the house.

He had a bike, a cool motorcycle that Dick himself that designed. It was black with a yellow R on the side, very simple and exactly to both of their tastes. Strangely it didn't bother him that Robin was not his alone.

Sharing the name with Dick meant something, and it made him feel connected to the other man on a whole other level. He knew Dick lived through him at times, but he'd actually drawn the line at a video system through his mask.

There was living through him and then there was living _through _him.

Jason had just finished fighting off a gang of Jokers at the pier trying to smuggle in some drugs with a name longer than he'd ever heard but Dick's voice through his earpiece made him go.

"I'm heading back, it's dead out here."

_I'll leave the light on. _

He smiled. The warm, teasing tone in Dick Grayson's voice gave his stomach a little jolt.

Then he thought about McGinnis and he sighed, smile melting away.

He put his hand over the top of the bike and it started up. Just as he was about to take off someone grabbed him from behind, throwing him off and hitting him in the face with something metal. His vision blurred and he blinked, just as someone hit him in the mouth and cursed, "Happy landings, little birdie."

Everything else faded when he passed out from the pain.

Jason came to staring into the face of a man he did not recognize and he knew at once that his mask was gone. So was his earpiece. His arms were tied and he was hanging from the ceiling of some large room. Warehouse?

The man smiled at him. "Wakey, wakey."

He glared.

"None of us recognize you, and your face doesn't come up in the digital archives. Just who the fuck are you, little birdie?"

Jason was silent.

The man had no hair and had to be almost forty, he was dirty and the room smelled like sweat. Also blood, but Jason pushed that thought down.

He didn't struggle when he was hit in the face again, though he did wince when he felt the metal on his spine.

That was gonna bruise. Or cripple him permanently, by the feel of it settling in his legs.

There were two of them he saw now; the one talking was not the one who had attacked him outside. That man was at his side, with what looked to be a metal pipe.

His left eye was swelling and he felt blood in his mouth.

"He's not talkin' Jerry. The birdie is scared. Pretty birdie though."

The man at his side touched his cheek and he flinched. The man laughed and continued to touch, moving his fingers to Jason's mouth. He went to put his finger inside when Jason bit him. Hard.

"FUCK!"

He punched Jason in the face, making him black out for a moment.

"You okay, Henny?"

Henny glared at Jason and then his glare turned into a smile. "I'm fine. I think he needs to be taught a lesson, Jerry."

Jerry smiled and reached into his pocket, taking out something and holding it up for Jason to see.

His earpiece.

"Guess what we did, Robin? We traced the signal from your little earring and we know where you live. Want us to go see what we can find there? The guy who keeps talking sounds _awfully _upset."

Jason's eyes widened a moment and he swallowed the blood in his mouth. "No."

He struggled at his bonds, nearly breaking them. Henny punched him in the stomach and then Jerry picked up the pipe. "You gonna talk, birdie?"

Just as he was about to speak there was a crash and the lights went out.

Jason struggled at his bonds, there was rope and there were chains. He sucked at it, he knew that, but it was worth a try.

Sounds of struggling were reaching his ears and he hoped it was who he thought it was. Even if that was the last person he wanted to see.

After a beat the sounds stopped and someone touched his face. He flinched and a voice said, "It's okay. It's me."

"Batman," was the last thing Jason said before he passed out officially, the pain in his back and the blood running down his face finally catching up to him.


	5. Chapter 5

Bruce was waiting for them when Terry returned and helped the younger man carry Jason inside. They set him up in the cave on a small cot. Neither man spoke.

Bruce went over every inch of Robin's skin, taking in the bruises, his worry evident by his silence. Terry was on his knees, still wearing his suit, mask discarded on the cave floor.

"Dick…"

"I haven't contacted him."

Terry stared at him, incredulous. "Bruce, he's got to be worried out his head. Robin's been missing all night, it's almost six a.m. He…"

"Got himself into this."

"He asked you to help! You can't…"

Bruce looked at Terry sternly. "Yes, I can."

Terry felt odd. This wasn't Bruce. "How would you feel? If this was me?"

Bruce looked away, returning to Robin. He was a surprisingly good doctor, though he had called the doctor he had on retainer to look at the boy in front of him. They trusted him.

"You're not a doctor and you're not Dick Grayson. You can't know what Dick is going through. He…"

Bruce looked at Terry. "If he cared, he would've trained him better."

Terry slapped him, instinctively, his own eyes filling with tears. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

Bruce reached up and touched his face, looking back at the boy in front of him.

Before he could answer there was a ring behind him.

The phone.

Terry didn't move, though he wanted to. He knew who it was.

"Answer it."

Bruce walked towards the computer screen and called out, "Yes?"

Dick Grayson's face appeared on screen, his eyes tired and red. "Anything?"

"Terry has not yet returned."

Dick put his hand over his eyes, cursing. "I did this. He…god Bruce, if something happens to him…"

"What will you do, Dick? If something does?"

Dick looked up, his eyes hard. "What do you mean by that?"

"You obviously are only using this kid. Even if he dies…"

"One more word Bruce. One more. You don't know me anymore. Don't pretend you do. You don't know me and you don't know him. He…he…"

Bruce smiled. "He what, Dick? Smiles pretty? Looks so much like Terry that you find him easier to have sex with?"

"FUCK YOU, BRUCE! YOU DON'T…just…I can't talk to you anymore. I…tell me when Terry comes in."

He hung up and Bruce silently stared at the blank screen.

"Feel good about that?" Terry asked from behind him.

"No."

"Why are you tormenting him? He obviously cares, Bruce."

Bruce turned and started to speak when the doorbell rang, surprising them both. Terry ran up the stairs without a word, going to let the doctor in.

He watched him leave and finished his thought. "I'm trying to help him before it's too hard to let go."

The doctor, who Terry remembered from his own injuries almost a year ago, smiled at him when he opened the door.

"Hi. He's…"

"You might want to change your clothes, son."

Terry looked down at his clothes.

Oops.

"Um…"

The doctor, whose name Terry still didn't know, just smiled. "Not that I didn't already know, but it's nice to finally have it affirmed."

"Terry can be somewhat forgetful, Robert."

Terry looked at Bruce sheepishly, but did not smile. Bruce did not look angry, so that meant he really must trust the doctor more than Terry knew.

They shook hands and Bruce ushered him down the cave stairs.

Terry stayed upstairs, pacing. He had a big decision to make. He wanted to call Dick and let him know that Robin was okay. What Bruce was doing was wrong, he felt sick just thinking about it.

But he knew Bruce would be furious if he did.

He paced some more, then stopped suddenly.

"The earpiece."

He reached inside his costume and pulled it out, staring at it. He'd turned it off when he'd found it, but maybe if he just turned it back on.

Terry pressed on it and the earpiece lit up. He slipped it back in his pocket and walked downstairs after Bruce and the Doctor.

Terry sat on the bottom of the stairs, watching them. The Doctor was looking Robin over, taking things and Bruce helped him turn the kid on his back to examine the bruises. They'd hit him with a pipe; Terry had seen it on the floor of the room.

"I'm afraid he may need to stay in bed for a few weeks, his bones have been fractured but the injury is something he can heal from. A pipe, I take it? Rather primitive."

Bruce said nothing.

"The boy should be taken to a hospital, Bruce."

"You can't fix him?"

The Doctor smiled. "I didn't say that. But he _should be._"

Bruce smiled at him. "That's what I'm paying _you _for, Robert."

The Doctor looked over his should at Terry. "Can you help me carry him, son?"

Terry ran to him and together the three of them got Robin up the cave stairs, and into the bedroom on the first floor. When they set Robin down he thrashed, suddenly fighting them. "It's okay," Terry assured him, putting his hand on the boy's arm.

Who really wasn't a boy at all, he realized. They were only about two years apart. Maybe one.

Robin opened his eyes. "What happened?"

The Doctor was setting up a drip of some kind and he asked, "Are you allergic to anything, son?"

Robin shook his head. "Who…?"

"A doctor. I…"Terry started, but Robin finished.

"You're Batman."

He smiled. "Hence the costume. Yeah."

Robin closed his eyes. "He's gonna be so angry with me."

Terry looked at Bruce, who left the room. The Doctor smiled at them both before exiting as well.

Terry took his hand off of Robin's arm. "No, he's not. He doesn't know where you are."

"What? You didn't tell him!??"

He tried to move but Terry held him down. "Stop. Your back is seriously hurt, okay? You're lucky you're still able to move at all."

He stopped.

"Bruce is being an asshole and keeping it from him but I…," Terry reached into his suit again and took out the earpiece. He handed it to him.

"I…I'm Jason."

"Nice to meet you, Jason. I'm…"

"Terry McGinnis. Believe me," Jason fingered the earpiece, "I _know._"


	6. Chapter 6

Terry left Jason alone with the earpiece and he stared at it in his hands silently.

He wanted to tell Dick that he was okay, he really did, but he also knew Dick would be upset with him.

Jason sighed and brought the earpiece to his ear. "Dick?"

"I'm heading over there now, Jason. Give me ten minutes."

There was a tightening in his stomach as he listened to the words and then nothing. He sighed, closing his eyes. Dick was angry, he could tell that just by the roughness in his tone even though he'd only known him less than a year.

They had met on a cold afternoon in November, the day after Thanksgiving. Shoppers galore all over the Shopping District were easy targets for pickpockets, of which he was a master.

He'd spotted Dick right off: rich, nicely dressed, good looking, old, and alone. Easy.

How wrong he'd been.

Dick had felt his hand and grabbed his wrist, throwing him into the alley and against the brick wall of a jewelry store. Jason had almost started to cry at the fury in the old man's eyes, but then Dick had smiled.

Jason knew then that he'd just met someone much more important then he'd assumed.

"Your name?"

"Fuck you."

Dick had tightened his grip and asked again, "Name?"

Jason tried to get away from his grip and failed, growling. "Jason."

Something flashed in Dick's eyes for a moment but a second later it was gone.

"Nice to meet you, Jason. I'm Dick Grayson."

Famous last words, as it were.

Now here he was in someone else's bed, hurt, and Dick was mad at him for it. He just knew it.

Jason sighed.

He had nothing left: no home, no family, and no friends.

He couldn't lose this too.

Trying not to move too much he turned onto his side, closing his eyes. It seemed a better idea to sleep and let the time roll by. Dick might be less angry if he found Jason asleep and injured when he came.

A gruff voice spoke at his back, "He's angry at himself."

Jason didn't move, trying to block out the voice of the man Dick spoke of with equal worship and resentment, Bruce Wayne.

"When you send someone you care about out by themselves to do something reckless and they get injured, even killed it…"

"I'm not dead," Jason whispered.

"I know," Jason could hear the tip tap of a cane across the floor, "Which I think is reason enough for you to realize that this may be your only chance of giving this up and going home."

Jason laughed, and then winced. "I have no home, Mister Wayne. My mother died when I was ten and I don't even know who my Dad is," Jason turned and slowly lay onto his back.

"Dick is very selfish. He can…"

Jason glared at him and angrily yelled, "Dick SAVED ME! The year I've lived with him is the best I've ever had in my life and you're telling me he's trying to use me? I KNOW! Why else would some old guy with lots of money even keep a kid around? You're doing the same with Terry and you…"

"That's enough, Jason." Came a very calm voice from the doorway.

Dick Grayson stood, his eyes ablaze as he leveled his gaze onto Bruce.

"We need to talk."

Bruce nodded. "Yes."

Jason watched as Dick turned without even entering the room, never once looking his way.

"So this is how it ends," he whispered, closing his eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

He was so angry he could barely keep still, wanting to lash out with everything he had but holding himself back.

The two men walked down into the Batcave silently, bypassing Terry on the stairs. Dick didn't even look at him, but he could see the boy out of the corner of his eye. When they got to the computer Dick stopped, letting out the breath he'd been holding.

"Dick."

Dick stared at the dead computer screen, not turning to look at Bruce.

"I want to hit you so badly right now, but I know I can't. I know if I try, you'll beat me. You always have and always will. I know that."

"You have every right to be. But I had my reasons."

Dick turned to face him, his entire body still on alert. "What reasons were those, Bruce? Are you so angry with me that you wanted to torment me? When Terry was hurt last year you were in such a horrible panic that I was here to _comfort _you, I talked you down and told you he was all right. Jason gets hurt and you make me think he's DEAD!"

Bruce's face fell and his eyes filled with tears. "Jason?"

Dick laughed. "Yes, Bruce. My Robin is a Jason too. You remember yours? Remember carrying his body out of that warehouse? Do you? I was conjuring up all of these horrible scenarios where he was beaten to death, just like Jason was twenty-six years ago. I," Dick covered his mouth to stop himself from crying out, but tears still fell from his eyes, "I care about this kid, Bruce. I find myself thinking about him when he's on patrol, worrying, and when he comes back I just hold him for hours to be sure he's still there. He sleeps in my bed and no," he looked up at Bruce, "We haven't had sex yet."

"Dick, I just wanted to help you."

Dick laughed. "Help me? You….you did, you really did. Because right now all I want is to take him home and tell him how much I love him, but I won't. It'll hurt too much when he decides that he's thirty and I'm seventy five and he can do better."

Bruce walked up to him and tried to touch his shoulder but Dick pushed him off, trying to hit his arm away. Bruce grabbed his arm mid hit and they stared at each other, both old men in tears over young men who had no idea.

Dick tried to hit him again and Bruce kicked out, which Dick dodged and flipped backward, landing gracefully a few feet from where Bruce was. Dick was breathing hard and so was Bruce, but both men smiled.

Dick wiped his mouth and he declared, "I'm gonna knock you down."

Bruce smiled. "You can try."

Bruce sidestepped his oncoming attack, reaching out and grazing Dick's cheek with his fist. As they moved and he dodged, Bruce became aware that they were moving around the cave and closer to familiar things he hadn't used in years.

Batarangs.

Dick seemed to realize as well because he quickly stopped Bruce from grabbing one of the weapons off the wall behind them, causing the batarang to get stuck in a wall somewhere while they continued.

They fought for what seemed like hours, but only lasted several minutes. After twenty Bruce raised his hand up, catching his breath and reached out to steady himself against the wall.

Dick, worried, came over to him. "Bruce, are you…?"

That's when Bruce kicked his feet out from under him and he was flat on his back, staring up at the older man.

Bruce smiled. "Never trust your opponent, Robin. Remember that."

Dick put his arm over his face and laughed, "I'm so stupid."

"Not stupid, Nightwing. Just too caring for your own good."

Dick moved his arm and winced. "God, we're idiots. I feel like I was thrown into a brick wall. You must feel worse."

Bruce made a fist with his left hand and rolled his shoulders. "There's an ache, but not as bad as I would have assumed."

"God, I hate you."

"No, you don't."

Bruce held out his hand and Dick stood, sighing. "No, I don't."

Bruce gestured to the stairs. "I believe you have someone to talk to."

Dick looked at the stairs and swallowed. "Yeah, I do."


	8. Chapter 8

Terry walked into the bedroom Jason was in and saw the other man asleep, lying on his stomach with his hands curled around a pillow.

Terry stood in the doorway for a while; staring and thinking about what his life would have been like if he had decided to go with Dick. Dick would have never gotten Jason from wherever he was from, but judging from his screaming words to Bruce that was nowhere and he had no one.

He turned to walk down the hallway when Jason opened his eyes. They stared at each other silently, Jason's eyes filling with tears. Terry opened his mouth to ask what was wrong when Jason said plainly, "You have it so good, you know."

"What?"

"They both love you, I can tell. Dick talks about you like you're this perfect superhero and that I'm just this replacement and Bruce…when I told him that he was using you, his face looked like he knew that, but it hurts him so much that he pretends not to. He, "Jason laughed, wincing, "You've slept with him, yeah?"

Terry blushed, looking down at his shoes.

"I guess that means yes. Dick won't even touch me, except for kissing. He likes to kiss me with his eyes closed."

Terry looked up, frowning. "He's really mad at Bruce, though. When I let him in his eyes were all red and I think he'd been crying. I think he…"

Jason closed his eyes and Terry saw tears falling down his cheeks. "He might care, but it's not what you have. I'll never…it'll never be that. Not for me."

"Jason, what's your last name?"

Jason looked at him. "Does it matter?"

Terry shrugged, walking into the room and sitting in am armchair by the bed. "No. I just…it feels weird just thinking of you as Jason."

"Tolne. It's the name my mother used when she was alive. I don't use it anymore."

"Oh," Terry said, looking back at the doorway, "I still think Dick cares about you more than you think."

"Why?"

"Because before he left with Bruce he stood in the hall and listened to you yell at Bruce, leaning his head on the wall."

Jason stared at the door, then at Terry. "He did?"

Terry looked at him. "Yeah. For a while, he just listened to you talk. Like…"

"I was making sure you were real."

Jason's head whipped around so quick he winced, but there stood Dick Grayson, looking worn out in every way. "Dick."

"Terry, can you leave us?"

Terry nodded, grabbed Jason's hand and squeezed a second before leaving.

Dick entered and sat down in the chair he'd left behind and just stared at the young man in front of him. He reached out and touched Jason's face, making Jason close his eyes and sigh, leaning in to him.

"I'm so sorry."

Jason opened his eyes. "What?"

"I'm so sorry I did this to you. You could've been paralyzed. You could've died. You…"

Jason grabbed his hand and held on. "But I'm not. It just hurts a lot but…"

Dick took his hand away and shook his head. "That's not good enough. Your back was nearly broken. They beat you with a pipe, Jason! That, that can't happen again."

Jason's eyes filled with tears again and he sat up, wincing. "Please, Dick. Don't throw me away, I…I'll get better! I will! I'll train harder and I'll make sure that I don't get caught again I…"

Dick shook his head, tears in his eyes. "Jason, this is ridiculous. You can't do this and you know it."

Jason hit him in the face, surprising him. "YES. I can. I want this and you can't take it away!"

Dick rubbed his jaw, wincing. "Shit, that hurt."

Jason glared at him, sniffling. "I don't care."

Dick smiled, rubbing his jaw still. "Yes, you do."

Jason didn't smile back at him and he took the younger man's hand. "I'm sorry, all right?"

Jason let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "I can…?"

Dick nodded. "As soon as you're healthy again."

Jason grinned and grabbed Dick's chin, pulling him into deep kiss that the older man deepened, standing and sitting on the bed, leaning the two of them back slowly so as not to hurt Jason again.

When they pulled apart both of them were panting and Dick kissed him again softly.

"Don't scare me like that again, kid."

Jason ran his hand through Dick's silvery black hair, smiling. "Okay. As long as you promise not to scare me like that either, cuz that was really bad. I didn't like it."

Dick nodded, kissing his neck and making Jason sigh.

"Never again."

Someone coughed and another someone cleared their throat. Jason and Dick turned to look at the door.

Terry and Bruce stood in the doorway. Terry was grinning and Bruce stood stoic beside him. "Yes?" Dick asked.

"You are more than welcome to stay for the remainder of Jason's convalescence," Bruce informed them.

Dick smiled. "I was going to anyway, but thank you for the invitation."

Bruce smiled. "I told Terry as such, but he was so insistent that I invite you myself that we had to interrupt you. My apologies."

"It's okay," Jason said, kissing Dick's cheek, "If we were gonna have sex, it wouldn't be here and it wouldn't be now. Dick left all the ropes at home, and it's boring without them."

Bruce's eyes widened at the comment and Terry blushed. Dick burst out laughing and his head fell onto Jason's chest.

Bruce nodded. "We'll leave you to yourselves then," he turned to leave when he stopped and added, "Though you're more than welcome to use ours."

With that, Terry practically ran away and Jason's eyes widened. He looked at Dick. "He wasn't serious, right?"

Dick looked up and smiled. "With him, you can never tell."

"That's pretty schway. He's probably got way more than you do."

Dick kissed him soundly, laughing, and held him tight. This time he didn't plan on letting go.

FIN

Sequel? Look for it soon.


End file.
